BOOKS: Urantia

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this is my first visit here. a friend of mine is really into reading the Urantia book, calling it the latest chapter in the book about God. Being raised Catholic and not being a bible reader, I have a hard time discussing my Catholic beliefs and even harder time understanding what is so compeling about the Urantian beliefs. Any opinions or help?
 
It is a vast turgid and strange book. It purports to be about aliens who revealed truths to some guy in Chicago years ago. No doubt he also wore aluminum foil hats to keep out death rays. There is a small cult associated with it. I suggest you stay far away from it and warn your friend. There is not an iota of truth in it.
 
Welcome to our forums and make sure to keep asking questions so that you keep your focus on the faith! We are happy that you have chosen to come here and learn about your faith! God bless you and good luck here on the forums…
 
re: the urantia book. It claims to be written by angels (not aliens) as a revelation to our planet. (which they call urantia)
There are people who read the book, but are hardly a “cult”. That said, there are some strange off shoot groups …but I find the book quite fascinating. A third of the book is the story of Jesus life and teachings which should be made into a movie. The Jesus portrayed is very compelling.
I suggest you check out the book yourself. Some people find it amazing, some don’t …but I’d always get it from the horses mouth so to speak. There are always those who fear new truth (pharisees) and in this book there is certainly lots of truth. Whether or not it is legit, judge for yourself. I am a catholic, attended catholic school,etc…and this book has helped me know God /Jesus much better-and made me a better Catholic.👍
wikipedia has solid info about this book.
 
sample:
The human Jesus saw God as being holy, just, and great, as well as being true, beautiful, and good. All these attributes of divinity he focused in his mind as the “will of the Father in heaven.” Jesus’ God was at one and the same time “The Holy One of Israel” and “The living and loving Father in heaven.” The concept of God as a Father was not original with Jesus, but he exalted and elevated the idea into a sublime experience by achieving a new revelation of God and by proclaiming that every mortal creature is a child of this Father of love, a son of God.
Jesus did not cling to faith in God as would a struggling soul at war with the universe and at death grips with a hostile and sinful world; he did not resort to faith merely as a consolation in the midst of difficulties or as a comfort in threatened despair; faith was not just an illusory compensation for the unpleasant realities and the sorrows of living. In the very face of all the natural difficulties and the temporal contradictions of mortal existence, he experienced the tranquillity of supreme and unquestioned trust in God and felt the tremendous thrill of living, by faith, in the very presence of the heavenly Father. And this triumphant faith was a living experience of actual spirit attainment. Jesus' great contribution to the values of human experience was not that he revealed so many new ideas about the Father in heaven, but rather that he so magnificently and humanly demonstrated a new and higher type of living faith in God. Never on all the worlds of this universe, in the life of any one mortal, did God ever become such a living reality as in the human experience of Jesus of Nazareth.
 
The Urantia book is turgid, yes! The thing is, people actually believe that this whole “revelation in Chicago in 1930 something” happened. I can understand the appeal of the book; I had a copy during my liberal Episcopal days. I never read it, but I loaned it to someone who enjoyed parts of it.

That said, liking it or being inspired by it doesn’t make the book “spiritually” sound… Christian… Catholic.

Read passages online, or sit with it at the library or bookstore, just don’t bring the evil nonsense into your house, mmmkay?

Yep, I do get evil vibes from the book.
 
Hardly evil. (in my opinion) I’ve read it. I’m mystified by anyone who could read the Jesus section and say it is evil. I agree that it might sound a bit strange in parts…but so did Jesus 2000 years ago-many thought he was unbalanced or “had a devil”. I honestly believe that many people just resist/fear anything “new”. So…I agree, read it for yourself. Depiction of Jesus is truly compelling and moving. As far as being “Catholic” or “Christian”, frankly those are just designations of peoples opinions.
 
It’s a book of heresy regarding Jesus. I wouldn’t read it. I’d rather fill my head with the knowledge of Jesus Christ than with lies.
 
stonetower said:
Hardly evil. (in my opinion) I’ve read it. I’m mystified by anyone who could read the Jesus section and say it is evil. I agree that it might sound a bit strange in parts…but so did Jesus 2000 years ago-many thought he was unbalanced or “had a devil”. I honestly believe that many people just resist/fear anything “new”. So…I agree, read it for yourself. Depiction of Jesus is truly compelling and moving. As far as being “Catholic” or “Christian”, frankly those are just designations of peoples opinions.
Click to expand...
Opinions are not useful for a real relationship with the Living God. It would be good for you to have a relationship with Jesus Christ.

The Urantia book is nonsense.

Peace,
Ed
 
Ed, I agree with the relationship with God part.

excerpts from “nonsense”:

I have called upon you to be born again, to be born of the spirit. I have called you out of the darkness of authority and the lethargy of tradition into the transcendent light of the realization of the possibility of making for yourselves the greatest discovery possible for the human soul to make–the supernal experience of finding God for yourself, in yourself, and of yourself, and of doing all this as a fact in your own personal experience. And so may you pass from death to life, from the authority of tradition to the experience of knowing God; thus will you pass from darkness to light, from a racial faith inherited to a personal faith achieved by actual experience; and thereby will you progress from a theology of mind handed down by your ancestors to a true religion of spirit which shall be built up in your souls as an eternal endowment.

Your religion shall change from the mere intellectual belief in traditional authority to the actual experience of that living faith which is able to grasp the reality of God and all that relates to the divine spirit of the Father. The religion of the mind ties you hopelessly to the past; the religion of the spirit consists in progressive revelation and ever beckons you on toward higher and holier achievements in spiritual ideals and eternal realities.

While the religion of authority may impart a present feeling of settled security, you pay for such a transient satisfaction the price of the loss of your spiritual freedom and religious liberty. My Father does not require of you as the price of entering the kingdom of heaven that you should force yourself to subscribe to a belief in things which are spiritually repugnant, unholy, and untruthful. It is not required of you that your own sense of mercy, justice, and truth should be outraged by submission to an outworn system of religious forms and ceremonies. The religion of the spirit leaves you forever free to follow the truth wherever the leadings of the spirit may take you. And who can judge–perhaps this spirit may have something to impart to this generation which other generations have refused to hear?

Shame on those false religious teachers who would drag hungry souls back into the dim and distant past and there leave them! And so are these unfortunate persons doomed to become frightened by every new discovery, while they are discomfited by every new revelation of truth. The prophet who said, “He will be kept in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on God,” was not a mere intellectual believer in authoritative theology. This truth-knowing human had discovered God; he was not merely talking about God.

I admonish you to give up the practice of always quoting the prophets of old and praising the heroes of Israel, and instead aspire to become living prophets of the Most High and spiritual heroes of the coming kingdom. To honor the God-knowing leaders of the past may indeed be worth while, but why in so doing, should you sacrifice the supreme experience of human existence: finding God for yourselves and knowing him in your own souls?
 
The Bible clearly tells Catholics and other Christians to not accept any other purported Gospel - to only accept the Gospel that was preached to them. The Bible is the Word of God. The Catholic Church is the one true, holy and apostolic Church.

Peace,
Ed
 
Ed,
I believe Jesus is the Word of God. However, I keep openminded and recognize truth often comes in “non-ordained” packages.
Consider this: Jesus appeared among the Jews 2000 years ago. He did not quite fit their scriptures (although the more spiritually minded prophets forsaw ) The priests at their time studied the scriptures that told them no prophet, much less the Messiah arises from Nazareth.
I believe God often, in fact almost always, acts outside our realm of expectation. While this might be unsettling to some, I believe it is true. I also believe that each person has a “divine spark” in their soul that resonates what is true.
“The kingdom of heaven is within” ~Jesus
Peace
 
When the disciples of Christ began to spread the Gospel, the people searched the Scriptures to see if what they said was true. The New Testament mentions how Christ fulfilled Scripture.

If a person has the Truth, then there is a recognition that an “open” mind is not a good thing regarding the identity and work of Jesus Christ.

Urantia falls outside of acceptable Church teaching.

Peace,
Ed
 
Ed,
True the New Testament tells how Jesus fulfilled the scriptures. I interpret this as the Jewish believers in Jesus trying to convince their Jewish brethren that Jesus was the Jewish Messiah. True, Jesus did most certainly fulfill the more spiritually minded prophesies. (esp much in the book of Enoch-it even uses the title “son of man” which Jesus calls himself) However, Jesus did not fulfill the Jewish scripture of a militant messiah who would with power lead the Jews to political freedom…and he was rejected because he did not fit this scriptural description.
Jesus was much more than the Jewish Messiah. He is the divine Son of God who actually created our universe. Jesus freely admitted this. His utterings were considered blasphemy by the Jewish priests who believed he was only human… and if he was only human, they would be right! It would have been blasphemy He forgave sins, he stated he who as seen me has seen the Father,he said the Father and I are one, before Abraham was,Iam. The priests were not prepared for this combination of God and man.

Whether the urantia book version of Jesus life falls outside of church teaching I am not sure. Depends who you talk to. But I think its good to recall that Jesus teachings certainly fell outside the accepted “church” teachings of his day. What if you were alive when Jesus was on earth? …and the “church” closed their doors to him and told everyone,“Have nothing to do with this man, he is in partnership with Satan”. You listened to him, and while many of his pronouncements sounded new and strange, there was something unusual about him and his teachings…and something responded deep within you.
I say this to point out that it is important to recognize that we all have an inner “truth recognition” response…and also out of respect and appreciation for the first generation of Jesus believers…
Regarding the urantia book…I have read the whole thing cover to cover (took a while). I realize it doesn’t appeal to everyone-certainly! Most important thing is to share your inner life with God (doing God’s will)…and if reading this book doesnt help you in that-don’t read it! I just feel obligated to respond to people who make statements about the book that have not read it.
 
Then said another inquirer: “Yes, Teacher, we do look for the Messiah, but when he comes, we know that his appearance will be in mystery. We know whence you are. You have been among your brethren from the beginning. The deliverer will come in power to restore the throne of David’s kingdom. Do you really claim to be the Messiah?” And Jesus replied: “You claim to know me and to know whence I am. I wish your claims were true, for indeed then would you find abundant life in that knowledge. But I declare that I have not come to you for myself; I have been sent by the Father, and he who sent me is true and faithful. By refusing to hear me, you are refusing to receive him who sends me. You, if you will receive this gospel, shall come to know him who sent me. I know the Father, for I have come from the Father to declare and reveal him to you.”

The agents of the scribes wanted to lay hands upon him, but they feared the multitude, for many believed in him. Jesus’ work since his baptism had become well known to all Jewry, and as many of these people recounted these things, they said among themselves: “Even though this teacher is from Galilee, and even though he does not meet all of our expectations of the Messiah, we wonder if the deliverer, when he does come, will really do anything more wonderful than this Jesus of Nazareth has already done.”

When the Pharisees and their agents heard the people talking this way, they took counsel with their leaders and decided that something should be done forthwith to put a stop to these public appearances of Jesus in the temple courts. The leaders of the Jews, in general, were disposed to avoid a clash with Jesus, believing that the Roman authorities had promised him immunity. They could not otherwise account for his boldness in coming at this time to Jerusalem; but the officers of the Sanhedrin did not wholly believe this rumor. They reasoned that the Roman rulers would not do such a thing secretly and without the knowledge of the highest governing body of the Jewish nation.

Accordingly, Eber, the proper officer of the Sanhedrin, with two assistants was dispatched to arrest Jesus. As Eber made his way toward Jesus, the Master said: “Fear not to approach me. Draw near while you listen to my teaching. I know you have been sent to apprehend me, but you should understand that nothing will befall the Son of Man until his hour comes. You are not arrayed against me; you come only to do the bidding of your masters, and even these rulers of the Jews verily think they are doing God’s service when they secretly seek my destruction”.

“I bear none of you ill will. The Father loves you, and therefore do I long for your deliverance from the bondage of prejudice and the darkness of tradition. I offer you the liberty of life and the joy of salvation. I proclaim the new and living way, the deliverance from evil and the breaking of the bondage of sin. I have come that you might have life, and have it eternally. You seek to be rid of me and my disquieting teachings. If you could only realize that I am to be with you only a little while! In just a short time I go to him who sent me into this world. And then will many of you diligently seek me, but you shall not discover my presence, for where I am about to go you cannot come. But all who truly seek to find me shall sometime attain the life that leads to my Father’s presence.”

Some of the scoffers said among themselves: “Where will this man go that we cannot find him? Will he go to live among the Greeks? Will he destroy himself? What can he mean when he declares that soon he will depart from us, and that we cannot go where he goes?”

Eber and his assistants refused to arrest Jesus; they returned to their meeting place without him. When, therefore, the chief priests and the Pharisees upbraided Eber and his assistants because they had not brought Jesus with them, Eber only replied: “We feared to arrest him in the midst of the multitude because many believe in him. Besides, we never heard a man speak like this man. There is something out of the ordinary about this teacher. You would all do well to go over to hear him.” And when the chief rulers heard these words, they were astonished and spoke tauntingly to Eber: “Are you also led astray? Are you about to believe in this deceiver? Have you heard that any of our learned men or any of the rulers have believed in him? Have any of the scribes or the Pharisees been deceived by his clever teachings? How does it come that you are influenced by the behavior of this ignorant multitude who know not the law or the prophets? Do you not know that such untaught people are accursed?” And then answered Eber: “Even so, my masters, but this man speaks to the multitude words of mercy and hope. He cheers the downhearted, and his words were comforting even to our souls. What can there be wrong in these teachings even though he may not be the Messiah of the Scriptures? And even then does not our law require fairness? Do we condemn a man before we hear him?” And the chief of the Sanhedrin was wroth with Eber and, turning upon him, said: “Have you gone mad? Are you by any chance also from Galilee? Search the Scriptures, and you will discover that out of Galilee arises no prophet, much less the Messiah.”
 
I am curious as to which specific part of this quote (a practice which I will refrain from doing per forum rules-apologies) you hear Satan growl?
To me, it is basically saying we should have a first hand relationship with God.
Anyway, I think this is starting to go around in circles. I have posted excerpts because I think some have fallen into the mistake of criticizing something that they really haven’t checked out first hand. If after reading these excerpts, you still view it as “evil”…then that is that. At least you make this acessment from direct ,first hand knowledge.
I wish you well. I repeat my opinion that this book is not “evil”. You might make the point that it contains some 1920’s accepted views on human history…but to say it is Satan inspired-I disagree, and take comfort in the fact that this same accusation was made against Jesus.
 
please do deconstruct. And I am glad you are familiar with it, so many have opinions about it that have no idea what the book says.
I am curious, look forward to hearing specifically what part of the text you find offensive.
Thanks
 
Hope dinner was good, mine is on the stove.🙂
I agree that there are differences with the urantia book story of Jesus and Catholicism, perhaps even Christianity (according to some)
You label these differences as “evil”. I don’t make that connection. Thinking that way, other non Catholic, but Christian religions would be evil too.
Regarding differences, I agree that the virgin birth story is alterred. In the urantia book, Jesus is born and conceived the same as any other child, BUT…is does still say he is both the Divine Son of God and also a man. So I would say the most essential message of who Jesus is…does not differ.
Jesus also has younger brothers and sisters who he reared after Joseph died in a work accident when Jesus was 14.
The most contraversial difference (in my opinion) is the fact that Jesus is a divine creator Son of God and oversees a domain of 10 million inhabited worlds, but the universe is larger than that (much) so there are other creator Sons beyond this realm of 10 million worlds.
This would seem to diminish the importance of Jesus, but it doesn’t have to. I might want to believe that because there is more than one person in existence (myself) …God loves me less. (not true)
And also, many people of the Jewish faith hold the belief that the trinity concept “dilutes” God. A Christian could argue forever to no avail. Suffice to say, I believe with divine things this logical “dilution” reasoning just may not pertain.
For example: I believe God loves us absolutely…with no relativity. In other words, God loves us as if we were the only person in all existance.
But anyway, this last issue is probably the biggest difference from Christianity.
Personally, I test these type things from taking only the specific text of what Jesus actually says in the Bible-and cross reference. I do this because all who came after him are human (and hence fallible), whereas Jesus is not.
 
The Urantia book talks about a Christ other than the Christ in the Holy Bible. This type of book must be rejected by Catholics and all Bible believing Christians.

Peace,
Ed
 
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